Twelve Days of Botmas
by A and A Pikachu Prime
Summary: A collection of one-shots for Christmas time! Nothing really linked, no set timeline. Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas!
1. One Shivering Bot

My other stories still live! But I'm taking a brief break for the holiday spirit to have the spotlight in my work. Christmas is my favorite time of year. So this is just a set of one-shots for the Christmas season. One per day from the 14th to the 25th. Twelve in total. Thanks for reading, please review and enjoy!

* * *

William Lennox had learned the first time he'd encountered a Decepticon that the Transformers reacted to extreme heat. He didn't know that they also reacted to extreme cold. Then again, looking back on the events, it did make sense. If a being was sensitive to one end of the spectrum, they would probably be sensitive to the other end as well. But the fact that Autobots could shiver caught him off guard the first time, especially since he had been startled beforehand.

"You _sure _the ice is thick enough?" Epps asked quietly to the three Autobots on the mission. Sideswipe shrugged, skating ahead.

"Seems like it," he replied, struggling for balance on the slippery substance beneath his tires.

"It is. So long as we avoid the weaker points, we should be fine," Optimus spoke up, taking a step forward. His weight was spread out across the length of his feet, making it easier on the ice. Like a snowshoe on fresh snow. Epps winced then visibly relaxed when Optimus didn't immediately fall through. That was what he was most afraid of; one of the Autobots going through the ice into the frigid water beneath. He was worried that if one did, most likely Optimus or Ironhide, they would bring several humans with them, or not be able to get back up.

"Come on. Let's get this over with," Will said, motioning for the men to follow. They began to walk watching the ground for any cracks. The echoing thuds of the Autobots walking were setting their nerves on edge. "You three should still be careful."

"Nah, we're not gonna fall through," Ironhide responded, feeling cocky like normal. Optimus made a noise somewhere behind the black Autobot, but Will didn't want to turn to locate the mech. He was already nervous. There was a crunch that stood out among the rest, louder than normal, even louder than Ironhide's overly heavy steps.

"Ironhide, look out!" Optimus' sudden shout made the soldiers jump since it was joined by a sickening crack. Ironhide was pushed forward and he stumbled, fighting for his balance just as the ice gave out where he had been before. Optimus gave one other panicked cry as he fell through the hole himself.

For a moment, there was a frightening stillness as the water started to settle and pour off the ice sheet where it had been splashed. The soldiers ran to the edge of the ice, searching the dark water for the Autobot leader. "Can Autobots swim?" One man asked softly.

"Some of us can…" Sideswipe replied. He and Ironhide stayed away from the hole to avoid falling in themselves. Their scanners swept the water for any sign of Optimus. But the Autobot leader's heat signature was gone.

"Can he?"

The question was answered as Optimus surfaced and scrambled to try to stop himself from being dragged back under by his weight. The humans scattered while Ironhide and Sideswipe moved forward to pull him up. He leaned heavily against his two Autobots once he was free of the ice, shivering badly from the chill.

"Optimus, you alright?" Will asked gently, a pool of dread gathering in his heart.

"He'll be fine once he warms up. We're heading back," Ironhide said, not giving Optimus a chance to reply. It wasn't like the Autobot leader was objecting to not being part of the conversation. Being half frozen didn't exactly leave him feeling very talkative anyways.

"Alright, men, back to camp! We're not separating and we're not making Prime suffer from the cold!" Will shouted and the soldiers began to walk back in the direction of their camp. Said 'camp' was a metal container large enough for the Autobots to fit inside of, filled with different supplies for the mission which was several weeks long. It meant that they could get out of the cold wind and warm up, something that all those present were glad to do.

Ironhide and Optimus walked along ahead of the soldiers, setting the pace for them. No one wanted to let Optimus move out of sight for very long. His movements were slow and jerky because of the ice jamming his joints. Ironhide kept an arm around his leader's shoulder to help keep him moving.

Will could hear the whines and hisses of Optimus' frame as they walked along. He winced at every step that was taken because of how odd it looked. Optimus had to fight to get his limbs to respond against the ice and snow clogging his knees especially. The ice was knocked off as he walked, the plates clicking together and forcing the ice out. Unfortunately, it was hard for him to move in the first place, and the only way to really remove the layers of snow and ice would be to move or melt it off. With the fact that Optimus had yet to stop shivering, Will was under the impression that he wasn't warming up very quickly, or at all.

The men and mechs stayed quiet as they walked, lost in their own thoughts, until the outline of the metal container loomed into view. The wind had picked up a fair bit, throwing snow across their path, making it difficult to see, as if trying to keep them from their goal. The humans were struggling on their own, while Sideswipe tried desperately to remain upright and on his wheel and Optimus forced himself to fight the icy wind battering him from practically all sides. They continued on, trudging through the thick snow piling up.

Sideswipe moved ahead, reaching the container first. He pulled the pins out and slowly moved the rods out of the way to unlock their camp. Next, he grabbed one of the huge doors and opened it, feeling the slight warmth of the camp spill out into the cold. "Come on! I'll hold it!" he shouted over the wind. Ironhide nodded and made his way over with Optimus, tapping his feet against the closed door to shake off some of the snow that had gathered. Optimus did the same before heading inside, disappearing into the darkness of the container. One by one, the soldiers joined them.

"So much better," Epps said. He stretched out his back with a content sigh since the pack he had been wearing was discarded on the floor nearby. He could hardly see because of the contrast between the darkness of their camp and the previous blinding white of the snow. The metal walls blocked the wind though, making the darkness worth it. He heard the Autobots shifting, every sound amplified, before the container shuddered from the door being closed.

"Tell me about it," Will agreed. Suddenly light broke through the dark and several of the men winced, shielding their eyes from the headlights that had been turned on by Sideswipe and Ironhide at nearly the exact same time. "Ouch. A little warning next time?"

"Would you rather be blinded for a minute or dead because you tripped and killed yourself?" Sideswipe asked, put in a bad mood by the cold. Will only rolled his eyes in reply. Even with two sets of headlights, it was still extremely dark. The humans could barely make out the outline of Optimus who was seated beside Ironhide. The black mech still had an arm wrapped around his leader to help the other warm up. Slowly Optimus' headlights flickered on, assisting in providing the humans with the ability to see. They had to wait for the generator to warm up again, as one of the men had turned it on already, before the lights set up would turn on. So they were stuck with borrowing the light from the Autobots.

"They have no control over whether or not there will be a storm," Optimus said softly. Several people jumped in surprise at the sound of the Autobot's voice. "You'll warm up soon enough."

"How are you?" Will asked. He heard a shift of metal and listened, able to make out the sound of metal clicking against metal still, meaning that Optimus was still shivering.

"I'll be fine. A little ice water isn't enough to cause lasting harm," he replied after a moment. Will walked over and nodded, accepting the answer.

"We'd have frozen. It's a danger from working in the Artic as a human," Will said. He smiled when he was close enough to be able to actually see Optimus. He was still coated thickly in darkness, as were the other two Autobots because the light wasn't pointed at them, but it was easier to talk to someone when you had an idea of where they were.

"Indeed. I'm glad that I was the one to fall in, and not someone else. Especially one of your soldiers or even you yourself."

"Sideswipe should've fallen in. _You_ can't warm up properly," Ironhide snapped even though his voice wasn't harsh. His optics, the only part of his face that was visible, were narrowed into slits as he glared at Sideswipe.

"What do you mean, 'Hide?" Will questioned wearing a look of confusion.

"Sideswipe and his idiot brother Sunstreaker decided once to lock Wheeljack in a simulator for testing his inventions on Cybertron. They didn't realize that Prime was the one in the simulator 'cause he was doin' something to it," Ironhide started.

"I was fixing an error in the program. Wheeljack had been called away by a comm from Prowl," Optimus supplied.

"So they locked the door with Prime inside and set it to colder than here, and his heater malfunctioned and Hatchet doesn't have the parts to replace it with 'im. And Prime was too stubborn to bother getting it replaced while he could have."

"There was no need to."

"Look at where we are now!"

"Why did you come on the mission then?" Will asked, breaking the possible argument brewing. Optimus resettled against Ironhide and his optics closed, hiding his face from view again.

"I was the only other Autobot available for the mission. Ratchet had work to do, the younger twins would have complained to the point that they would have to be sent back, and the Arcee's are on their own mission," Optimus replied. Will nodded after a moment and crossed his arms.

"Get some rest Prime. We'll try again in the morning," he said. Just then, the lights flared to life and Ironhide smirked as Will let out an annoyed groan. Optimus chuckled softly before settling down into recharge. With a sigh, Will reached out and gently placed a hand on Optimus'. "Happy Holidays big guy."


	2. Two Dancing Autobots

Probably should have also mentioned some will be really short or pretty long... Not my best work... *winces* Sorry!

* * *

A crowd had started to gather. Music was playing loudly, blaring from Bumblebee's speakers. The two bots in the center continued their actions; for once working together. They laughed and grunted, every movement exaggerated more than it needed to be. Laughter rippled through the crowd, passed on by every member of it.

"What's going on?" Will asked Epps who had arrived to see what was happening long before Will had.

"The twins. Skidz and Mudflap," Epps replied. "'Bee dared them into doin' a dance routine. "

"How long have they been at it?" Epps checked his watch.

"Fifteen minutes."

Will mouthed the word 'wow' before slipping into the crowd to get a better look. He laughed once he did. Skidz was trying to act out the lyrics to the song, "Jingle Bells" at that point, while Mudflap was dancing like a drunken man. They bumped into each other, barely managing to avoid crashing to the ground. Skidz grabbed Mudflap's arm, and they began to spin together, forcing the crowd back and away.

Bumblebee was the only one who didn't move, instead staying where he was. Mudflap barely missed hitting him, but Bumblebee didn't even flinch. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, a playful glint his baby-blue optics. He increased the volume until most of the people present had clamped their hands over their ears to block out the sound.

Skidz lost his grip to try to swat at Bumblebee, sending Mudflap flying across the room. The song ended on a sharp note, thanks to Bumblebee once Mudflap hit the wall. A silence fell before Mudflap pushed himself up. "I'm alright. I'm okay," he said. There was a reel of laughter from Bumblebee as the yellow mech clapped and started to walk away.

"**Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!"**


	3. Three Unwise Men

He still wasn't sure how he'd gotten roped into the latest scheme. It was a safe one, unlike the time Bumblebee and the younger set of twins decided to melt Ironhide's tires, but he still didn't enjoy the idea of taking part. Even if it would draw priceless looks of confusion from some of the Autobots.

"Come on Leo!" Sam called, "We don't have all day!"

"I'm comin'!" Leo snapped in reply, tugging at the cloth plopped on his head. He wasn't even sure whose bright idea the scheme was.

"So what's the plan, kid?" Simmons asked while tightening a rope belt around his waist. He put his hands on his hips and his costume slipped slightly. "And what's with the ancient garb?"

"To mess with the 'bots. It'll be fun," Sam answered. He took off the headpiece and tossed it to Leo who scrambled to catch it. He opened the door a little before poking his head out, glancing down the hall to check for any Autobots. Besides Bumblebee, who was stationed outside their room anyways, it was clear. Sam moved inside and took his headpiece back. "Come on, let's go. Before one of the 'bots find us."

Leo and Simmons followed Sam out into the hall without complaint, though Leo was glaring at the ground. Sam led the way with Bumblebee, practically giggling with glee. It would be amusing to mess with the other Autobots who had no idea what was planned. Sam nodded to Bumblebee, and there was a distinct click of a tape and the Autobot's optics brightened for a second.

They headed to the Rec Room, where their intended target was with Ironhide. The three men each adjusted their costumes before heading inside. A few looked their way, most with a look of 'what on Earth?' that made Leo more nervous, and Sam more confident. Their target and Ironhide were seated a table, a datapad between them filled with schematics for a new weapon Ironhide had designed. Ironhide was the one to see him. His faceplates scrunched up before he tapped the table, and motioned to Sam and his group. Optimus turned and looked.

"What are you three _doing_?" Mikaela asked, resting her fists on her hips. Sam smiled and put a finger to his lips. He turned to Bumblebee slightly, giving the Autobot a nod, nudging Leo then Simmons. A song started to play from Bumblebee's radio making several people stare because they recognized it. The Autobots, however, still looked confused. Then, the three people, dressed as wise men, began to sing.

"**We three men of disorient are  
Bearing scars we traverse afar  
Field and fountain, moor and mountain  
Following yonder bot.**

"**O child of Primus, child of light  
Child with optics blazing bright  
To victory leading, still proceeding  
Guide us to thy perfect right."**

Mikaela's jaw dropped and her eyes widen. She risked a glance at Optimus, who had clearly recognized that they were singing about him. Optimus' optics were wide, but other than that he seemed as calm as ever. After a pause, the men continued.

"**Born a Prime on Iacon's plain  
Gold I bring to crown Him again  
Prime forever, ceasing never  
Over us all to reign**

"**O child of Primus, child of light  
Child with optics blazing bright  
To victory leading, still proceeding  
Guide us to thy perfect right."**

Ironhide suddenly leaned back, causing Leo and Sam to jump and falter. His chair creaked loudly. Optimus shifted in his, turning to face the three full on. It took a moment for Bumblebee to restart the music and encourage them to continue.

"**Blazing guns to offer have I  
'Cons to target with a sharp eye  
War and weapons, all men raising  
Follow him, Prime most high.**

"**O child of Primus, child of light  
Child with optics blazing bright  
To victory leading, still proceeding  
Guide us to thy perfect light."**

Ironhide began to chuckle, a grin crossing his face. It had to be the creepiest thing in the room.

"**War is mine, its bitter perfume  
Breathes of life of gathering gloom  
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying  
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb**

"**O child of Primus, child of light  
Child with optics blazing bright  
To victory leading, still proceeding  
Guide us to thy perfect light."**

A few of the soldiers present nodded in agreement to the verse about death. The smiles on their faces faded, despite the fact that they thought it was hilarious that three men would spring this on the clueless Autobots. Complete in costume and everything.

"**Glorious now behold him arise  
Victory through the war darkened skies  
War whoops raising, voices praising  
Earth and heav'n replies**

"**O child of Primus, child of light  
Child with optics blazing bright  
To victory leading, still proceeding  
Guide us to thy perfect light."**

Simmons, Leo, and Sam with linked hands, dipped in a bow. They studied Optimus for any reaction. The Autobot leader straightened while his optics dimmed, searching the internet for the lyrics to the real song. A smile grew and he nodded. His optics brightened.

"Interesting song choice, considering the words," he said after a minute. He turned back to Ironhide but didn't go back to work. He was waiting for a reply.

"You're the Autobot leader. The lyrics worked the best with you," Sam shrugged. Optimus chuckled.

"Then I'm honoured," he stated. He went back to work, continuing the conversation with Ironhide from where he'd left off. But this time, he wore a smile as he did. It was a job well done, Sam decided.


	4. Four Singing Autobots

The Christmas party had been a bad idea. William would tell you that without hesitation, as would Sam or Mikaela, or Epps, or any other solider that had stayed throughout the entire thing. Optimus had warned them against it, but had they listened? No. Of course they didn't. The Autobot leader had sighed and told them that as much as it was a _bad_ idea, he had stepped aside and let them do as they wanted. And so the Christmas party was planned. They would regret it afterwards, along with Sideswipe, Ratchet, and Ironhide. At least Optimus had escaped while he could.

The party was going as planned. There was music playing lightly, drinks were served, laughs were shared, lights were aglow, and no one was fighting. Sideswipe and Ironhide had provided High Grade, though Ironhide lost his to the party because of a bet with Ratchet, and the Autobots had been enjoying themselves.

Throughout the entire thing, Optimus had stayed to the side, not allowing anyone to drag him into the chaos that would surely unfold. He stood away from the speakers where the music was loudest. He stood away from the table holding the High Grade where somebot would try to get him to drink. He also stood away from Ratchet and Ironhide who were happily drinking away. In fact, Optimus had chosen to stand by the door. Will and Epps had both joined him briefly, trying to get him to join in. Optimus had only given them a knowing smile and shook his head and replied that the night was not going to end well for them. Even then, they hadn't heeded Optimus' words of wisdom.

The first sign of trouble had been when Ratchet and Ironhide had started to show the signs of being over energized. Ratchet nearly fell over giggling like a schoolgirl, while Ironhide told jokes through bellows of laughter. At that point, Optimus left the party claiming to have a headache from the noise when he was asked by a few of the soldiers present.

Sideswipe followed in the footsteps of the two 'drunken' Autobots not long after. Partway through the party, he joined Ratchet and Ironhide at their table along with Bumblebee, though the yellow Autobot had hardly touched the High Grade.

Their conversations grew louder, and louder, and louder… until someone, and no one knew exactly who, suggested to Bumblebee that he should play some Christmas for them because the sound system was hardly able to cut through the noise of the room. So Bumblebee played the music; extremely loud. Ironhide and Ratchet actually seemed to enjoy it, while the humans scattered, and even started to sing along with the words. Sideswipe quickly joined in.

It led to the four Autobots creating the strangest quartet in existence as they stood on a table, which creaked and groaned under their weight despite being designed for the Autobots, belting the lyrics as loud as possible. The humans clamped their hands over their ears to block out the painful noise and backed away. No one wanted to be nearby for when the table gave out. Getting crushed at a Christmas party by Autobots that were drunk wasn't something that anyone wanted to have something happen to them.

The only warning anyone had was a long moan of metal before the table snapped, dumping the four to the ground. About ten seconds later, Optimus walked back in as if on cue, ready to help move the four Autobots to their quarters, wearing a smile that screamed 'I told you so'. The NEST soldiers agreed that night. Listening to Optimus was the best possible option.


	5. Five Broken Wrenches

They had gone missing on Sunday morning. Five broken, warped, shattered, burned, or bent wrenches. Ratchet had been searching for them since. He had wanted to repair them because there were only so many supplies the humans were willing to give. In his free time he practically took apart Med bay to find them. He didn't exactly _need_ them, but the idea of losing them or having them taken was driving him crazy.

Optimus had even helped Ratchet look, only to find nothing. After that, Ratchet had given up. He put everything back where it was supposed to go and still didn't come across the missing wrenches.

Several days went by. The Decepticons were quiet and the Autobots unneeded. Bumblebee played Christmas carols in the Rec Room, Ironhide didn't blow anything up for once, Wheeljack helped the humans decorate the base for the holiday, and Optimus was more lenient than ever. No one saw the missing wrenches anywhere, and soon it slipped Ratchet's mind altogether.

The night before Christmas arrived quickly, almost two whole weeks after the wrenches went missing, when Ratchet walked into Med bay and found something surprising waiting for him. There was a package on the counter, wrapped in a red cloth with a white ribbon. Frowning, he walked over and prodded it gently; afraid it was something that would blow up in his face. When it didn't, he carefully undid the ribbon and watched the cloth fall away. His optics widened in surprise.

Nestled inside the cloth were five wrenches. Ratchet pulled one out to examine it.

The wrench was crudely repaired; long weld lines marring the surface and the metal dull in colour. But it was clear that every wrench was repaired with the utmost care of whoever had fixed them. He certainly hadn't. Nor had Ironhide or Wheeljack or even Optimus because of the way it was welded. He had practice on living metal, Ironhide had practice with his guns, Wheeljack had practice with his inventions, and Optimus Prime had practice through very basic medical training which Ratchet had startled to give him before the war had gotten that bad. Bumblebee, Skidz, and Mudflap didn't really know how to weld. The Arcees would have done a neater job. That only left Sideswipe and Sunstreaker.

As Ratchet removed the last wrench from the cloth a sheet of paper fell out. It was at least as long as a human was tall, and just as wide too with large letters scrawled across it. He smiled when he saw what the words. It read '_Merry Christmas Doc Hatchet. SS._'


	6. Six Shattered Optics

Not that Christmassy or even that happy. I'm really very sorry. I'm sick at the moment and ready to just go to bed. I'll try to keep tomorrow's happier. We're halfway done, and I'm still managing right now which I'm very happy about. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it...

* * *

"What exactly is it?" Optimus asked, examining the delicate device cradled in his hand. It was a star made of silver that caught the light of the room and making it glitter. It even caught the blue glow of their optics and twisted it across the metal. The curling designs hid mechanisms to make the star spin though it was still in hand. Lights lined the designs that would sparkle if it was plugged in.

"The humans call it a 'tree topper'. For a Christmas tree. I thought it would be nice to give the humans something to decorate it with," Wheeljack replied. There was a light in optics that came only when he was talking about something he made. Carefully he took the star from Optimus and held it up to the light. He smiled behind his mask.

"Why'd you make it? The tree in the Rec Room's already got one," Ironhide asked present, only because he wanted to keep an optic on his Prime. Wheeljack's smile fell and his optics narrowed a little.

"I wanted to give them something. It's for their holiday, Ironhide," Wheeljack answered. He sounded down emotionally and Optimus reached out, placing a hand on Wheeljack's shoulder.

"Very kind of you," he told the inventor. He winced when Ironhide snatched the star from Wheeljack. "Careful."

"You'll break it," Wheeljack said nervously. He reached out for the star but Ironhide waved off the concern.

"I won't break it."

He connected a cable between his arm and the star and they watched the lights blink to life coating the air around them in colour. The display was beautiful. The star twirled on its base, twisting faster and faster, and Ironhide jerked his hand away when the item shot out sparks. It fell slowly, the spinning only growing until pieces of it began to fly. The device exploded. Shrapnel flew, catching all three of the Autobots in the face. Each cried out in agony as the shards did their damage. Then came the eerie calm.

"Whoops," Wheeljack said on a groan. He pressed his hand to his optics, blinded like the other three.

"Next time, Ironhide, if the device was made by Wheeljack, let him tell you what it's supposed to do. Don't test it yourself," Optimus stated. He sighed and commed Ratchet.

"Merry Christmas," Ironhide said sarcastically. It was followed by three hollow laughs. "Merry Christmas indeed…"


End file.
